Double Trouble
by ColorsOfTheWind944
Summary: Emma decided that she was ready to be a mom at 18. She kept the baby, but there's a twist. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Mirror Image**

Emma Swan entered the restaurant, looking around for her mark. She spotted him sitting at a table off to the side. Emma took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to do. Plastering a smile on her face, Emma strode to where Ryan was sitting.

"Emma," he stood, offering his hand.

"Hi, Ryan," Emma shook his hand, "You look relieved."

"Yeah, well it is the internet. Pictures can be…"

"Fake, outdated, stolen from a Victoria Secret's catalog."

Ryan laughed, "So, tell me something about yourself, Emma."

"Oh, well, today's my birthday."

"And you're spending it with me. What about your friends?"

"Kinda a loner."

"And, you don't like your family?"

"No family to like," Emma didn't enjoy lying about being alone, but it was safer for her son if the bad guys didn't know he existed.

"Ah, come on. Everyone has family."

"Technically, yeah. Not everyone knows who they are. Ready to run yet?" Emma pretended to be a bit insecure to keep Ryan off his game.

"Oh, not a chance. You Emma, are by far the sexiest, friendless orphan I have ever met."

Emma laughed at the lame joke, "Ok. Your turn. No wait! Let me guess. You're handsome, charming."

"Go on," Ryan's ego was stoked, so now it was time for the big fall.

"And, now stop me if I get this wrong. The type of guy who, embezzled from your employer, got arrested, and skipped bail before they were able to throw you in jail."

Ryan looked confused, "What?"

"And the worse part, this is your wife. Your wife loves you so much that she bailed you out, and how do you repay that loyalty? You're on a date."

"Who are you?"

"The chick who put up the rest of the money."

"You're a bail bondsman."

"Bail bondsperson." Ryan nodded, then he flipped the table over, taking off running. Emma sighed in exasperation. Now she was going to have to deal with the stain on her dress.

Emma calmly followed Ryan outside, crossing the street right behind him. Ryan was desperately attempting to get his car to drive, without any luck. He opened the door to see the boot around his back tire.

Ryan looked up as Emma caught up to him, "Look, you don't have to do this. I can pay you, I've got money."

"No, you don't. And even if you did, you should give it to your wife to look after your family."

Ryan scoffed, "What do you know about family?"

Emma leaned forward and looked him straight in the eye, "A lot more than you," then smashed his head into the steering wheel, knocking him out.

OUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUAT

Emma unlocked the door to her apartment, struggling to not drop the bag in her hand.

"Mom, let me help you with that," the bag was tugged out of arms.

Emma blinked, "Lucas, what are you still doing up? You should have been in bed hours ago. It's a school night."

Her loving child rolled his eyes, "Mom, it's your birthday. You really think I wouldn't stay up to celebrate it with you?"

Emma sighed, knowing there was no use in arguing. He was as stubborn as she was. He was already awake and nothing could change that now. "Fine. We'll eat one cupcake, then it's straight to bed. And I don't want any calls home about you falling asleep in class tomorrow, got it squirt?"

Lucas smiled, "Sure thing." Emma smiled back, pulling the cupcakes and candles out of the bag. She took out a blue, star shaped candle, settling it in the middle of her cupcake, and lighting the wick, "Go on, Mom. Make a wish."

Emma stared at the flickerin flame for a moment, trying to figure out what she wanted. She glanced at Lucas, realizing exactly what she wanted. Emma had always tried to do right by her kid, but she was a single mom with no support system. She hadn't been able to provide him everything he needed, but most importantly, she hadn't been able to give him a real family. That's what she would wish for, a family for her and Lucas. Emma closed her eyes and blew out the candle.

The doorbell rang. Emma was caught off guard at the sudden interruption, "Why don't you pour us some milk, and I'll see who's at the door," Emma said. She walked over to the door, wondering who on earth would be ringing at this time of night.

Emma's breath caught as she swung the door open.

"Are you Emma Swan?" Lucas was standing right outside the door, which was impossible since he was in the kitchen.

"Yeah," was the only thing Emma could think to say.

The Lucas look-alike smiled, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "I'm Henry. I'm your son."


	2. Welcome to Storybrooke

**Here is the next chapter of Double Trouble! Right now I'm just going to focus on what's happening in Storybrooke. The background for the Fairy Tale characters is still the same. The only thing different about this story's background is that Emma has raised Lucas. The dynamics between characters is going to be different. Emma is also going to react to things differently. She has spent the past ten years being a mom, so she isn't trying to figure that part out anymore, but she is going to have to figure out how to give some of her attention to another kid.  
**

 **I'm going to be using elements from the show, but I will also do my best to change things up enough that it doesn't feel like you're rereading the entire series.**

 **Disclaimer: I may wish I lived in Storybrooke, but I don't own Once Upon A Time.**

* * *

 **Welcome to Storybrooke**

Emma was trying to wrap her head around what she was seeing. How could Lucas's twin be here? While Emma stood there in shock, the boy walked passed her, heading further into the apartment.

Brain finally beginning to catch up to what was happening, Emma spun around, grabbing the boy's shoulder before he could take more than a few steps. Now that she was really looking, Emma could see a few differences between Lucas and this kid. Lucas's hair was much shorter, and he had more freckles. The kid was looking at her expectantly, so Emma opened her mouth, not sure what she would say. Turned out it didn't matter, as Lucas appeared at the end of the hallway, "Mom, who was at the door?" The twin in her grasp swung his head around at the unexpected arrival. The two boys stared at each other in shock upon recognizing their own face. "Mom, what is going on here?"

Emma glanced at the boy she had given up, who had a look of sadness on his face, but he quickly hid it as he answered the question, "My name is Henry. I guess I'm your brother. I came here to find Emma."

Lucas tore his eyes away from Henry to stare at Emma, and began speaking in a tight voice, "Mom. What is going on?"

Emma sighed, releasing her grip, "Lucas, sweetheart. When you were born, you had a twin, as I'm sure you can see." Lucas crossed his arms, Emma turned back to Henry, hoping she could explain her decision, "I didn't know what to do. I was eighteen, and pregnant. I knew it was going to be struggle to care for one kid, but two would be impossible. So I had to give one of you up."

Henry nodded, "You wanted us to have our best chance, even one of us wasn't with you."

Emma blinked in surprise that such a young kid actually understood why she had given him away. Henry looked immeasurably sad though, unlike Lucas, who looked like he was ready to blow his top.

"Yeah, I, look, why don't you come in and we can sort this whole thing out," Emma suggested, not sure what else to do. Henry followed his mother and brother into the kitchen, hopping on a stool at the bar. Lucas sat next to his previously unknown brother, less than pleased at the turn of events. Emma thought about calling the cops, but she didn't think threats were the best way to go about this, "Alright, kid, Henry, what are you doing here? And where are your parents?"

"I'm here for you. To take you home with me," Henry supplied.

Emma took a deep breath, "Fine. Where is home?" Henry probably lived fairly close by, she could take him home, apologize to his parents. It wouldn't be a big deal.

"Storybrooke, Maine."

Emma felt her heart stop at the answer, falling so simply from the lips of a ten year old boy. As a parent, Emma was aware of all the dangers that could befall a young boy in a large city like New York. She had been worried when she thought Henry had only traveled across the city so late at night. Turns out he had traveled more than six hours, most likely by bus, all alone. His parents must be absolute baskett cases, their kid having been gone for so long.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" Lucas snorted.

Emma needed to make sure she was right about this, "Do you mean to tell me that you traveled all the way from Maine, by yourself, without your parents' knowledge?"

Henry frowned at her, "Yeah."

Emma nodded, doing her best to restrain from giving a long winded lecture. Henry may technically be her kid, and he may look exactly like Lucas, but he still had a different set of parents who should be the ones to discipline him. "The first thing we have to do is call your parents. It's nearly nine-thirty, and you've been gone, what time did you leave this morning?"

"Uh, around seven."

"You've been gone nearly fourteen and a half hours, so I'm going to inform your parents that you are safe."

"No!" Emma was surprised by the outburst, "You can't tell my mom where I am!"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Dude, you're going to be in big trouble anyway. The longer you wait to get caught, the worse the punishment will be, trust me."

"Thanks for your input," Emma drawled, "Now, Henry, I have to know the number."

Henry crossed his arms, "No. If you want to make sure I get back, then you're going to have to take me back yourself."

Emma wanted to bang her head against the wall. Henry was just as stubborn as her and Lucas. "Fine. If you won't give me your number, I'll just have to call the cops." Emma went straight to the phone, hoping the kid would change his mind.

Without missing a beat, Henry replied, "Then I'll tell them that you kidnapped me."

Emma whipped around. Both she and Lucas stared at Henry in shock. "Wow," Lucas said, "I have to admit, you've got guts."

Emma shot Lucas a look as she regained her voice, "And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother."

"Yep."

Emma crossed her arms, "Listen, kid, you're good, but I've got this thing, let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone's lying. And you kid, are."

Henry hesitated, looking between Emma and Lucas. Lucas raised his eyebrows, "She really can tell. I've never been able to get away with lying about anything."

Henry turned back to Emma, "Please don't call the cops. Just come back to Storybrooke with me."

Emma sighed, bending down to eye level with Henry, "Listen, kid. I can't just up and head off to Maine. I have a job. Lucas has school. Why don't you just give me your number? Maybe I can talk to your mom and dad about a visit in the summer."

"I don't have a dad, just a mom. And she'd never let you come visit."

"Then that's her choice, Henry," Emma swallowed, "I can't blame her for not wanting me intruding in either of your lives. She loves you too much to share you with a woman she doesn't know."

Henry shook his head, "You don't understand! She doesn't love me, she only pretends to. That's why I had to come find you. You can fix everything."

Emma's heart broke at the earnest desperation in Henry's eyes, and she could tell he wasn't lying. She had given him up all those years ago, hoping that he would have a good life, and he sounded like he wasn't happy, whether because what he said was true or because he simply couldn't understand a reserved parent, Emma felt horrible. Emma pulled him into a hug, "I'm sure that's not true."

"It is. She doesn't care," Henry's muffled voice could be heard.

Emma was torn. On the one hand she couldn't just run off to Maine. On the other, she didn't want to send Henry back into what was a potentially bad situation. She couldn't let the cops handle this. Not letting your kid know they were loved wasn't grounds to remove a child from a home.

Emma pulled back, "Henry, wait here for a moment. Lucas and I will be right back, ok?"

Henry blinked, "Sure."

Emma practically dragged Lucas into the bedroom. "What's up, Mom?" Lucas asked once the door was shut, still sounding petulant about the whole situation.

Emma bit her lip at his tone, "I wanted to ask you something. Would you be alright with missing a couple of days of school?"

Lucas gave his mom a searching look, "You want to go to this Storybrooke? Why?"

"I want to check out Henry's mom. Make sure that everything is fine, but I want to make sure you're alright with this."

Lucas considered her for a moment. A mischievous smile spread across Lucas's face, eliminating some of the anger, "Yeah. Let's go. A few days off school is great way to start making up to me the fact that you didn't tell me I had a twin."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Fine. We'll call it payment for me not telling you. But you're really fine with this?"

Lucas mulled over everything. He sighed, the rest of the anger finally dissipating from his face, "Yeah. It seems pretty important to you. We should go."

"Then that's settled. Go pack some clothes and we'll get going."

Emma placed her hand on the doorknob when Lucas put his hand out to stop her. She gave her son a questioning look. "Which of us is older?"

Emma raised a brow, "Why do you want to know?"

Lucas shrugged, "Just curious."

Emma shot Lucas a suspicious look, but he returned with his best innocent look. "Fine. It's you. Happy?"

Lucas had a self satisfied smirk, "Extremely."

Emma decided not to fret about the monster she had just unleashed, "Go pack."

Lucas ran down the hall to his bedroom, while Emma went back to the kitchen. Henry was sitting where she had left him, but he had obviously helped himself to some juice.

"Henry," having his attention, Emma continued, "Lucas and I have decided to take you back to Storybrooke. Give us a few minutes to pack. We're planning to spend a few days and make this a vacation."

Henry hopped up, smile wide, "Thank you! You won't regret this!"

Emma smiled, unsure about the proclamation, "Yeah. We'll be ready in a few minutes." Emma went back to her bedroom and grabbed a bunch of clothes, not even really aware of what, and she shoved it all into a large bag. She quickly changed out of her dress, opting for jeans and a tee-shirt. She pulled on her leather jacket, ready to hit the road.

Emma shoved some snacks into a small backpack. Lucas always got hungry on road trips, and Henry might be the same way. Lucas came in dragging two large bags and his skateboard.

Emma looked at the bulging bags, "How long do you think we're going to be gone?"

Lucas shrugged, "I don't know, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

Emma shook her head, "We're going in the bug. One bag, and you can bring your skateboard."

"Fine."

Emma turned to Henry, "Are you sure you won't tell me your number? I'd feel a lot better if I could call your mom."

"We can't call her. That'll give her the warning she needs to prepare."

Emma was confused by the answer, but there was nothing she could do, having no information at all. "Are we ready to go? Does anyone need to use the restroom?" Emma asked.

"Ready," came the responses. Henry sounded enthused, while Lucas sounded bored.

"Alright. Let's go," Emma picked up her bags, leading the way downstairs.

They reached Emma's yellow bug, stuffing their bags in the trunk.

"Shotgun," Lucas called out.

Henry frowned, "Why do you get to sit in the front?"

"Because I'm older."

"How do you know that?"

"Mom told me."

"Oh." Henry blinked, climbing into the back with no further protests.

Emma watched the bickering, hoping it wouldn't be too bad.

OUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUAT

They had been driving for several hours. Lucas had spent most of his time playing video games, while Henry sat in the back, flipping through a large book.

Having died for the third time in a row, Lucas decided to actually talk to his long lost brother. "So, what are you reading?"

Emma glanced in the rearview mirror, curious herself. Henry looked up, a thoughtful look on his face, "I'm not sure either of you are ready."

Lucas leaned back to get a better look at the book, raising an eyebrow at what he saw, "Not ready for a bunch of fairy tales?"

"They're not just fairy tales," Henry answered defensively, "The stories in this book actually happened."

Emma was a bit concerned at Henry's declaration. Lucas had outgrown fairy tales a few years ago. "Henry…" Emma wasn't sure how to continue.

"Use your superpower. See if I'm lying," Henry challenged.

Emma glanced back to see that Henry truly believed everything he was saying, "Look, just because you believe something is true, doesn't mean it is."

"That's exactly what makes it true."

"Oh, really?" Lucas scoffed.

"Yes, really. Emma you should know it better than anyone."

Emma sighed, "Alright, I'll bite. Why should I know that?"

"Because you're in it."

Emma looked back in surprise, "Kid, you've got problems."

"Yep, and you're gonna fix them." Emma was starting to wonder exactly what she had gotten Lucas and herself into.

OUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUAT

The yellow bug drove through the quiet town. "Alright, kid. What's your address?"

"44 not telling you street."

Emma slammed the brakes, coming to a halt in the middle of the road. She got out, banging the door shut in frustration. She had just driven over six hours, dragging her kid with her, only to wind up on Main Street, U.S.A, with no idea where to go. Lucas and Henry spilled out right behind her.

"You promised me that you would tell me where you live if I brought you back here."

"Well, technically, I never promised anything, and I never said I'd tell you my address."

"I don't want to play games. I'm tired and it's now," Emma looked up at the large clock, "eight-fifteen?"

"That clock hasn't moved my entire life," Henry explained, "Time is frozen here."

"What does that mean?" Lucas asked.

"It means that time doesn't move here. The Evil Queen sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here with a powerful curse."

Emma was confused by the outlandish idea, "So, the Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here?"

"Yeah."

"Frozen in time. Stuck in Storybrooke, Maine. That's what you're going with?" Maybe Emma had horribly misread this whole situation. Henry had already proven with the kidnapping threat that he could be manipulative. Perhaps this was all some story concocted to get Emma to Storybrooke. Lucas had sometimes tried to use a fanciful narrative to get out of trouble, and Henry could be doing something similar. "Henry, you don't have to make up stories. I'm here now. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"It is, but I'm not making it up!" Henry said. "It's all true."

"If they are here, why don't they just leave?" Lucas looked around, "It's not like there's anything to stick around for."

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen," Henry explained.

Emma was formulating a response when she heard a voice from across the street, "Henry, what are you doing…" A red haired man who was walking with his dog came to join the trio. He trailed off at the sight of Henry and Lucas. "Who are these people?"

"Archie, this is my mom and my brother." Henry answered.

"Oh. I see," Archie seemed at a complete loss as to what to say next.

Emma decided that this might be a good way to get some answers, "Hey, do you know where he lives? I really need to be getting him home. I'm sure his mom's worried enough as it is."

"Yeah, oh sure. Just up on Mifflin Street. The mayor's house is the biggest one on the block."

"You're the mayor's kid?" Lucas choked out.

Henry stared at the ground, "Maybe."

"Hey, Henry, where were you today? You missed our session," Archie asked.

"Oh. I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip," Emma didn't need her superpower to know that Henry was lying.

Archie glanced at Emma and Lucas before bending down to be eye level with Henry, "Henry, what did I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

"That's great advice, which I hope Henry will listen to in the future, but I do need to be getting him home," Emma said.

"Of course," Archie stood up, "Have a good night. Be good, Henry. It was nice to meet you…" Archie looked expectantly at the twin he had not addressed.

"Lucas."

"Lucas," Archie smiled, "Good night."

Archie walked off as Emma and Lucas turned to Henry. "So you have a shrink?" Lucas asked, as tactful as always.

"I'm not crazy," Henry stated calmly, as if it was the only reaction they could have towards his needing a psychologist.

"No one said you were. It's just, he didn't seem cursed to me," Emma suggested.

"That's because no one can remember who they are. The curse wiped out all of their memories."

"Isn't that a bit convenient?" Lucas asked.

"It's true," Henry insisted.

"Fine. I'll bite," Emma said, "Who is he supposed to be?"

"Jiminy Cricket."

"Doesn't that mean that he should be, well, a cricket?" Lucas asked skeptically.

"He wasn't always a cricket. The curse just turned him back into a man."

"That's stupid," Lucas countered.

Henry opened his mouth to retaliate, but Emma jumped in, "Look, why don't we just get in the car and play nice, alright?"

"Fine," Lucas shrugged.

Henry shot Lucas a glare before answering, "Alright."

The trio got in the car, Emma driving down until she found Mifflin Street. As she pulled the bug to a stop, Emma and Lucas couldn't help be stare for a moment at the size of what could only be described as a mansion. The two had always been crammed into tiny apartments with barely enough room for two people, and had certainly never had so much space.

As he got out of the bug, Lucas gave Henry a funny look, "Dude, you seriously want to get away from this? It's huge."

"Which just means it's empty," Henry turned back to Emma, "Please don't make me stay."

Emma placed her hands on Henry's shoulders, "Kid, I'm sure your mom does love you. I'll even talk to her about it if you want me to."

Henry's voice got small, "It wouldn't work. She won't listen. She's evil."

Emma blinked. "Henry, don't you think that's a bit extreme?"

Henry shook his head, "It's not, it's true."

Suddenly, the front door flew open, revealing a woman with short black hair, "Henry!" she cried, racing down the front steps. Unfortunately, from her vantage point, she couldn't actually see Henry, rushing instead to pull Lucas into a tight embrace. "Where have you been? I was so worried...what happened to your hair?" Henry's mom was thrown by the shortness of the hair of whom she thought was her son.

"Excuse me," Emma stepped forward, "That's my son, Lucas. Henry's right here." Henry shot Emma an indecipherable look, right before his mom swept him up in her arms.

Once she released Henry from her embrace, the woman stood up, "Would someone please explain what is going on here? And why is there another child who looks almost exactly like my son?"

"I found my real mom!" Henry yelled, running around everyone to head inside.

Emma noticed that there was also a man standing on the porch. She caught a glimpse of his sheriff badge, which explained his presence. "I'll go check on the lad," he said, fleeing the scene in front of the house.

The woman turned towards Emma, stunned, "You're Henry's birth mother? And what about the other child?"

"Henry was a twin. I couldn't take care of both of them so I had to give one up for adoption. I'm Emma Swan, by the way, and this is Lucas."

A tight smile formed on the woman's face, "Regina Mills. So, Ms. Swan, how would you like to try some of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

"Sure. I think we could both use something to drink, couldn't we squirt?"

"Fine with me," Lucas said. Emma and Lucas followed Regina into the mansion.

The foyer was large, with a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. As they entered, the sheriff came downstairs, "Regina, other than being a tired little boy, Henry seems to be just fine."

"Thank you, sheriff."

"I'll just be going now. Good night." The sheriff nodded at Emma and Lucas as he left.

Regina went into the kitchen, coming back out with glasses and a bottle of apple cider.

"Do you know how he found me?" Emma asked.

Regina handed Lucas a glass, "No idea. When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. His records were sealed, and I was told the birth mother didn't want any contact."

Emma looked down at the drink she was handed, "You were told right. I thought it would be better for him if I cut all ties."

"Yes, well, I suppose that didn't work. Do I need to be worried about the father?"

Emma glanced at Lucas, "No. He never got the chance to know."

Regina nodded, bringing her guests into the den, "I'm guessing you know something of what it's like to be a single mother?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then you understand how hard it can be, juggling caring for your child and having a job. I know I can be a bit strict, but I'm only trying to do what's best for my son."

"I get that, but he seems to having quite a few problems."

Regina bristled, "I'm doing the best that I can."

"No. I didn't mean anything against you. I was just referring to the whole fairy tale thing."

"What fairy tale thing?"

"How could you not notice?" Lucas asked.

"Lucas, don't be rude," Emma admonished.

"What? He's the one who thinks that fairy tales are real. I mean, seriously. This dinky little town is full of a bunch of people cursed by the Evil Queen. It's ridiculous."

"Lucas," Emma hissed, "I'm sorry about my kid. I'm sure Henry is just going through a phase. Believing in fairy tales isn't the worse thing that could happen."

Regina frowned, "I'm afraid I really don't know what you're talking about." Emma also frowned. Regina seemed to be telling the truth, which suggested that Henry hadn't told her his theory, though Emma couldn't figure out why. Regina suddenly stood, "Well, thank you for bringing him home. I'm sure you have a long drive ahead of you, and you really should be going."

Emma and Lucas stood as well, following Regina to the front door, "Actually, I was thinking about hanging around for a few days. Make sure everything is alright. Have a small vacation for me and Lucas. Where's a good place to get a room?"

The smile slipped from Regina's face, "Let me make something clear, Ms. Swan. Just because Henry went and found you, does not mean you have an invitation to come back in his life. Don't forget, he is my son. Now, why don't you leave and go back where you came from?" Regina slammed the door in their faces.

"Well, she's a bundle of joy," Lucas stated.

Emma glared her son, "You didn't need to attack Henry the way you did. It certainly didn't help matters," Emma sighed, glancing at the closed door, "though I will admit that she isn't a soft person."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, "So, are we heading back to Boston."

Emma began walking back to the bug, "Do you want to head back?"

"Mom, I know you want to stay."

"What makes you think that?"

"Mom. The mayor just challenged you. I know how much you love doing the exact opposite of what you're told."

As they reached the bug, Emma turned to look Lucas in the eye, "Maybe, but it's not just about me. This decision will affect you too. If you would rather go back to Boston, then we will go back, end of story."

Lucas searched Emma's face, "I say we stay. I don't like being told what to do either."

The two smiled at each other, "Alright, squirt, we'll stay through the weekend, which means five days. We'll bug the mayor a bit, then we'll head home. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good."

"Alright. Let's go find us a place to stay."

Emma drove around for a while, but the only place that looked like they could stay was Granny's Bed and Breakfast. Unfortunately it was far too late to check in, so Emma and Lucas were just going to have to spend the rest of the night in the bug. Emma found a street to park on for a few hours.

Lucas crawled in the back, "Hey!"

"What?"

"Henry left his dumb book," Lucas held the book up.

"Huh. He's sneaky, I'll give him that. It's too late to do anything about it right now. We'll return it in the morning," Emma said.

OUATOUATOUATOUATOUAOUATOUATOUATOUATOUAT

Emma woke up to a tapping noise. Blinking to adjust to the sudden light, she looked around, realizing it had to be getting close to eight in the morning. The source of the tapping turned out to be the sheriff, who was standing outside the driver's side window.

Emma checked to see that Lucas was still sleeping. Not wanting to wake him, she quietly opened her door and pulled herself out. "Is there something I can help you with sheriff?"

"Are you living in your car? With a child?"

"No. We came in so late last night that the Bed and Breakfast wasn't open," Emma explained, "We figured we'd get some shut-eye while we waited."

"Ah. I suppose I can let you off the hook this one time. Granny's is open by now, Ms…"

"Emma Swan."

"Ms. Swan. I'm Sheriff Graham Humbert."Graham offered his hand, which Emma took.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You, too."

Graham smiled, "Have a nice day."

"Thanks. You, too." Graham nodded, turning around to walk away. Emma scrubbed the sleep from her eyes before leaning in the back to shake Lucas awake. He grumbled as blearily looked around, "Hey, sleepyhead. Why don't we go get something to eat?"

"Sure."

"Come on. We can get hot chocolate to go with breakfast."

Lucas grinned, "With cinnamon?"

"Yeah, squirt, with cinnamon."

They walked around the corner entering the diner, where a scantily dressed waitress came over to them, "Hi, I'm Ruby, can I help you? On, hey, Henry. You cut your hair. Looks nice," Ruby frowned, glancing at Emma, "Who's your friend?"

"Um, actually, this isn't Henry. This is Lucas, Henry's twin. I'm Emma Swan, Henry's birth mother." Emma explained.

Ruby looked shocked, "Oh. I, uh, I didn't know you were in town. Um, would you like a table or booth?"

"Booth is fine. We also need a room."

"Sure," Ruby nodded. "Um, how long will you be staying?"

"Five days."

"Alright. Here, I'll show you to your table and get you a key."

"Thanks."

Ruby nodded, leading them towards a table near the back, "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Two hot chocolates with cinnamon, please," Emma ordered.

"Sure thing. I'll be back in a couple of minutes to take the rest of your order." Ruby retreated to the counter, leaning over to whisper to a couple of customers, all of them casting furtive glances towards Emma and Lucas.

"We certainly know how to avoid attention," Lucas remarked.

"Just ignore them. Eventually they'll lose interest," Emma looked over her menu, "What are you thinking about getting?"

Lucas began scrutinizing his own menu. "Maybe pancakes with chocolate chips."

"Yes. Hot chocolate and chocolate pancakes. Very nutritious."

"Oh. Like you'd do any better."

"Here's your hot chocolate," Ruby set the mugs on the table, "And here's your room key." Emma took the offered key, unaware that the moment she touched it, the hands on the clock began moving. "What would you guys like to eat?"

Emma and Lucas exchanged a look. Emma dramatically sighed, "Two orders of chocolate chip pancakes, please."

"You got it."

Emma and Lucas chatted about their plans, and were almost finished with their meal when someone interrupted them.

"Hey, you guys are still here," Henry said, "Did you see the clock? It's moving again!"

"No," Emma glanced out the window, barely able to see the clock from her vantage point, "Huh, I guess someone finally fixed it," Emma said, turning back to the boys, "Hey, shouldn't you be in school."

Henry sat down next to Emma, shaking his head, "This is more important. You came to town, so time is moving forward again. Since you're the Savior, your presence is enough to start weakening the curse."

"Are you really going to keep up the whole curse angle?" Lucas asked, "You do know it makes you sound like a nutcase, right?"

"I'm not crazy. And it's not an angle. I keep telling you, it's true."

"Henry, maybe you should stop bringing that up. Magic isn't real, and I'm not any sort of Savior. We're only staying for five days, so let's make the most of it, huh?" Emma soothed.

"You can't leave! It's your destiny to break the curse."

"Henry, please stop."

Henry hopped up, "No. You can't leave!" Henry spun around, running out of the diner before Emma could stop him.

"That went well," Lucas said.

Emma glared at her son, "Come on." Emma slid out of her booth, running for the door, Lucas right behind her. By the time they were outside, Henry was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, well. He's gone. We should head back and finish breakfast," Lucas commented.

Emma whirled around, "What is your problem?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that ever since Henry showed up, you've done nothing but ridicule him."

"Hey, you think the whole fairy tale thing is nonsense too."

"Yes, it is nonsense, but that doesn't mean you have to be nasty about it. Why are so angry…" Emma trailed off as she put the pieces together, "This isn't about his stories. You're mad at me for not telling you that you have a brother."

"Yes, I'm mad! And why shouldn't I be? Not only did you not tell me about him, but he turns out to be a complete lunatic," Lucas's snapped.

"There's more to this than thinking he's crazy."

Lucas visibly deflated, "What if you like him more than me?"

Emma placed her hands on Lucas's shoulders, "Listen to me. There will always be a part of me that loves Henry, because he is my child, but it does not mean that I will ever stop loving you. I may have given birth to Henry, but I raised you. Henry belongs to someone else, so you just remember that you are my priority. If this whole thing is too much for you, all you have to do is say the word, and we will leave."

Lucas let out a big breath, "No. I shouldn't be getting angry with him, none of this is his fault. I guess I needed to hear that I'm a little crazy too, for thinking you'd walk out or something."

"Of course I'm not going to walk out. I have put in way too much time, energy, and money to ever get out."

Lucas smirked, then glanced around, "We should probably see if we can find him."

"Yeah. Ugh, that means we're going to have to go talk to the mayor."

Lucas winced, "Sorry about that."

Emma and Lucas went and hopped in the bug, driving straight to the mayor's house. Emma took a deep breath, getting out of the car and heading for the front door. She raised her hand to knock, but never got a chance to, as the door suddenly swung open.

Emma and Regina stared at each other for a moment. Regina broke the silence, "Ms. Swan, am I to assume you are the reason Henry wasn't in his bed this morning?"

"He wasn't in bed this morning?"

"No. It appears he ran away again. I'm on my to the sheriff's station to file a report."

"Oh, well, I saw him this morning at Granny's. We had a bit of an argument, and he ran out. I came here hoping to apologize."

"Well, he's not here," Regina crossed her arms, "And thanks to you I still don't know where he is."

"Mom can help you find him," Lucas interjected, "She finds people all the time, it's her job."

"Really, Ms. Swan? What would you suggest?"

"Well, where does he go when he's upset?" Emma asked.

"I don't know."

"Okay. How about his friends? We could try talking to them."

"Henry doesn't have any friends. He's kind of a loner."

Emma frowned, "All kids have friends." She and Lucas had lived a very transient lifestyle, usually only living somewhere for a year, but Lucas had always been able to make fast friends. Henry had lived in the same town his whole life, so he should have someone he hung out with, "Are you sure? There's gotta be somebody."

Regina frowned, "I already told you there isn't. Now if you're simply going to stand around asking asinine questions, I'll be heading to the sheriff's station."

"Have you checked his computer?"

Regina paused, "No."

Emma shrugged, "There's usually something on a kid's computer. Why don't you let me take a look at it? I'm already here and this way you don't have to waste valuable searching time."

Regina weighed her options, "Fine, but make it quick." Regina led the way upstairs, "Here's Henry's room."

Emma glanced around. It appeared to be a typical boy's room, with books and toys scattered everywhere. She opened up the computer that was sitting on the desk. "Smart kid. He deleted his search history. Luckily I'm smarter," Emma pulled a hard drive out of her pocket, "Little program I use to scrub the hardware."

"Yes, yes. Can you hurry it up please?" Regina was impatient.

"She's going as fast as she can," Lucas told her.

"Well, we wouldn't even be in this situation if the two of you hadn't run my son off."

Emma interrupted before Lucas could say something else to get himself in trouble, "Here we go. He's been to a site called who' . Does he have a credit card?"

"He's ten." Regina's tone was answer enough.

"Just asking. This site is pretty expensive. Let's look at his receipt transactions. It says that he used a credit card belonging to a Mary Margaret Blanchard. Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?"

Regina looked perturbed at the information, "Henry's teacher."

Emma and Lucas followed Regina in the bug, winding up at the elementary school.

"Why would his teacher let him use her credit card? I can barely get my teachers to give me a hall pass," Lucas mused as they drove.

"I don't know. Maybe they're really close, like teachers and students are on TV." Lucas gave Emma a look, "What? It could happen, especially in a small town like this."

"Maybe."

Emma, Lucas, and Regina entered the classroom as all of the kids filed out.

"Where is he?" Regina didn't waste any time.

"Henry? Um, isn't he right there? And who are you?" a woman with a pixie cut asked Emma.

"I, uh, I'm."

"She's the woman who gave him up for adoption, and he's the kid she kept. Now, did you give Henry your credit card to find her?"

"No," Mary Margaret pulled her wallet from her purse.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma questioned.

"Unfortunately, no. Clever boy," Mary Margaret showed them the empty sleeve where her credit card should have gone. "I never should have given him that book."

"What is this book everyone keeps talking about?" Regina yelled.

"They're just some old stories I thought he might like. As you know, Henry is a special boy. So bright, so creative, and as you are aware," Mary Margaret gave Regina a significant look, "lonely. He needed it."

"What he needs is a dose of reality. This has been a waste of time," Regina spun on her heel, knocking over a pile of books on her way out. She pause next to Emma, "You should probably head back to Boston before you cause any more damage," then she continued on her way.

"Sorry to bother you," Emma bent down to help pick up the books.

"No. I feel this is partially my fault." Mary Margaret said.

"How exactly can fairy tales help anything?" Lucas asked, "I mean, they aren't real and have nothing to do with life."

Mary Margaret shook her head, "That's where you're wrong. These stories, the classics, there's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always makes sense. You see, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

"Yeah, she's a bit prickly," Lucas said.

"No, it's more than that. He faces that inevitable question that all adopted children face. Why would anyone give me away?" Mary Margaret swung around, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't in any way mean to judge."

"It's fine. We actually talked about it a little, and he was surprisingly understanding for someone his own age," Emma explained.

Mary Margaret nodded, "Henry has always been very perceptive. Look, I gave him the book because I wanted him to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

Emma considered Mary Margaret for a moment, "You know where he is, don't you."

"You might want to try his castle."

Once Emma had directions to where Henry was, she and Lucas headed out to the bug. "Lucas, maybe you should wait in the car."

"Why?"

"You seem to be having issues with Henry. It might be best if I talk to him alone," Lucas opened his mouth to argue, "Please, Lucas. I want this to go quickly and smoothly."

"Alright. I'll stay here."

"Thank you." Emma parked her car near the wharf. She could see a small figure sitting on the play structure. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said, getting out of the car.

"Hey, kid, you left this in my car," Emma sat down next to Henry, handing him his book, "You've got your mom all worried about you again."

"She's not really worried. She's just pretending."

Emma sighed, "I know what it looks like when someone's pretending to love their kid, and your mom, is not. She's just, not good at showing it. Come on, let's get you back to her," Emma stood up, heading back to her car.

"You don't understand. My life here, it sucks," Henry yelled, following.

Emma spun around, feeling her own anger rise up, "Oh. You want to know what sucking is. Sucking is getting abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents couldn't even be bothered to drop me off at a hospital. I ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own kid so they sent me back. You don't know what sucking is."

Rather than yelling back like Emma expected (that's what Lucas would have done), Henry simply stood there, searching her face, "Is that why you're so against being the Savior? Because you don't think you're worthy? You should know, your parents didn't abandon you, the side of the road is just where you came through."

"Through?"

"When your parents put you in the wardrobe to escape the curse. They sent you through because they wanted to make sure you had your best chance, and they knew they couldn't give it to you."

Emma softened her tone, "Henry, I'm not in any book, and I'm no Savior."

Henry smiled, "You are, you just don't believe it yet. Just spend some time here in town. You'll see that things are different here. Please."

"Lucas and I are staying till the end of the weekend," Emma bent down to look Henry in the eyes, "If I try believing you, will you try to work things out with your mom?"

"But she's evil."

"I know that you think that, but I can tell she loves you. She's not faking her worry. A mother can tell. She really is trying her best, so cut her some slack. Hopefully things will get better between the two of you. Please just try."

"Alright," Henry reluctantly agreed.

"Good. Come on, let's go." Emma walked back to her car, startled when Henry grabbed her hand. The ride to Henry's house was silent.

Lucas once more sat in the car, as Emma walked Henry to the door, where he used his key to get inside. "Henry?" Regina came running from the living room. She pulled up short at the sight of Emma. "Ms. Swan, what are you doing here?"

"I found Henry, and I wanted to make sure he got home alright."

Regina frowned, "Thank you Ms. Swan. You may go now."

"Actually, Regina, I wondered if I could have a word."

Regina considered Emma for a moment, "Very well, Ms. Swan. Henry, why don't you go up to your room?" Henry glanced between the two women before heading upstairs. "What do you wish to talk about?"

"I'm concerned about Henry."

"Henry is my son, Ms. Swan. What is happening with him is none of your business."

"I know that, and I don't want to intrude on your relationship with him," Regina appeared surprised at the admission, "Look, something is up with Henry. I get that you have a tough job, but he's feeling neglected and unsure of the fact that you love him. So, instead of lecturing me, maybe you should get off your high horse and fix the problem, which from what I see, is you."

Regina's eyes flashed, "I don't want any advice from you. I'm Henry's mother and will raise him how I see fit."

Emma frowned at Regina's stubbornness, "Then maybe I should make it my business to ensure that you shape up and become a good parent."

"Luckily for me, you will soon be out of my hair," Regina opened her front door, "Have a nice trip back to Boston."

Knowing there was nothing else she could do, Emma stalked out the door, slamming her car door shut when she got in.

"Doesn't look like it went well," Lucas commented.

"It didn't. That woman has a stick up her butt and someone needs to remove it," Emma replied, "Ugh, she really needs to get over herself."

"Maybe we can do something about it over the next few days?" Lucas suggested.

"Maybe. For right now, let's head back to our room and unpack," Emma turned the bug around, heading to Granny's.

 **What did you all think?**

 **Emma is encouraging Henry to have a relationship with his mom, because she is a mom. She wouldn't want someone to come in and interfere with her relationship with Lucas, so she doesn't want to mess up Regina's relationship with Henry. Though that doesn't mean Emma like Regina.**

 **I'm not sure how often I will be able to update this fic, though I have no plans to give up on it.**


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